Hubs to give kids a taste of science

The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), the science wing of the ministry of culture, has been given the responsibility of setting up 55 Innovation Hubs across the country . given Rs 100 crore to spend over the next three years to give shape to these hubs, which are modeled on Science City . Bengal will get four -one each at Burdwan, Siliguri, Digha and Purulia -of these hubs.Among other cities that will have these hubs are Bhubaneshwar, Patna, Lucknow, Kurukshetra, Dehradun, Nagpur, Bhopal, Dharampur, Calicut, Tirupati, Gulbarga, Dhenkanal, Panjim, Tirunelveli, Solapur, Jorhat, Puducherry , Jodhpur, Ranchi, Dharwad, Raipur, Jaipur, Pune, Coimbatore and Dehradun.Each Innovation Hub will have laboratories where students can experiment, solve problems, create, design and play with topics that they learn as kids in schools. Teachers will be available at these Innovation Hubs to help kids with the experiments. “Though our syllabi in science are very scientifically laid out, we still stress on teaching science theoretically. Naturally, kids do not get a chance to experiment with the concept. As a result, we do not excite their imagination or their love for science.
The Innovation Hubs come in at that juncture,“ said NCSM chief Ganga Rautela.The hubs will be divided in to several sections like the Discovery Hall, where there will be at least 15 interactive science exhibits, Innovation Resource Centre and Hall of Fame where innovative ideas, products and inspirations behind them will be showcased.
The hubs will also have Idea Labs that will help students in model-making, design and fabrication of useful gadgets and will teach children basics of soil, water and food items testing.

“Children will specially enjoy the Tod Phod Jod section, where students will dismantle and re-assemble devices and gadgets. Another section -Idea Box -will help kids to create something from scrap. The Tech Lab will focus on robotics while the Design Studio will work in tandem with the National Institute of Design to encourage creative fabrication of products and craft,“ Rautela explained.